Research
The Museum as a research facility
The Kirchner Museum Davos is not only as an exhibition venue but also as a vibrant research facility.
Research on Ernst Ludwig and his art, his entourage, historical contexts, artistic processes, and materials play a central role alongside the numerous temporary exhibitions and rich educational program. In addition to its extensive art collection, the Kirchner Museum Davos holds many of the painter’s private correspondences, his diary, an archive of his photographic work, and countless other documents as well as historical publications. Together, these add up to a comprehensive collection of source materials, providing a basis and reference for a wide variety of research projects.
The close connection between academic research and museum work has made the museum a center of knowledge on Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Expressionism. The steady contact with researchers from all over the world reflects international interest in Kirchner’s art, making the museum a hub for experts and their research projects. Moreover, the collaboration with, among others, University of Konstanz—one of Germany’s “universities of excellence”—enables young researchers to gain insights into museum work, to learn how to handle original works of art, and to take their first academic steps in a practical field of research. In return, the museum opens itself up to the fresh perspectives, questions, and propositions of university-based research, ensuring topicality and relevance.
The research focus at the Kirchner Museum Davos is particularly evident in the numerous publications and essays accompanying exhibitions. Regular scholarly symposia and expert lectures give interested audiences insight into the museum’s wide-ranging research activities. The combination of art experience and research establishes the Kirchner Museum Davos as a prominent institution and center of knowledge, promoting a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity and depth of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner—the man and his art—and Expressionism.